Aerial and Underground Construction Of Fiber Optic Cable Infrastructure

Franklin County, New York's Purchasing Department is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP #26-0526-1) for fixed-price construction services related to aerial and underground construction of fiber optic cable infrastructure under the New York State Municipal Infrastructure Program (MIP) Phase 1, administered by Empire State Development. The project encompasses approximately 36 miles of fiber optic infrastructure in the southern portion of Franklin County to serve unserved and underserved areas. The selected contractor must provide all labor, equipment, and materials necessary for placement, splicing, testing, and restoration of County-supplied fiber optic cable in accordance with industry standards and applicable federal, state, and local codes. Key deliverables include completion of fiber construction activities, optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) test results, photographs, and as-built drawings for each project segment. The contractor must submit sealed hard-copy proposals with electronic documents on a thumb drive by May 26, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. local time to the Franklin County Purchasing Department. A written question period closes on May 15, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., and Franklin County anticipates awarding the contract on or about June 5, 2026, with substantial completion required by December 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Award will be made to the lowest responsible bidder, with evaluation criteria including contractor reliability, quality of workmanship, compliance with technical specifications, ability to meet project timelines, and overall safety approach.

No prior identical or substantially similar procurement contracts have been awarded to business enterprises within the past five years, and no specific set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise restrictions are noted in the procurement documents. The project is subject to New York State prevailing wage requirements and OSHA regulations, and contractors must demonstrate compliance with Build America Buy America waiver provisions and all applicable federal, state, and local codes. Franklin County will supply all fiber optic cable and certain specified materials listed in the RFP exhibits, while the contractor furnishes all remaining materials, labor, and equipment. Payment will be made upon completion of each segment following receipt and approval of verified OTDR test results, photographs, and as-built drawings, with a 10 percent retainage held until project completion and County acceptance. Liquidated damages of $10,000 per calendar day will be assessed for delays beyond the December 31, 2026 deadline. The specific contract award value or budget range is not disclosed in the available procurement documents.